FCPS Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is a summer birthday, is doing well and by five years old there is really no need for a nap nor will your child really want one. As long as your child knows the basics going in, letters and numbers etc, they should not struggle. The only issue might be impulse control if they can't sit still for 20 minutes at a time but then again, that would be an issue in private school as well. They actually move arounda lot between doing morning meetings then going to specials, the coming back and working on reading groups, then PE or recess. It's not like they are sitting in one place the entire day just scribbling in notebooks. Your child will be fine.

Bull. My child's classroom had them sitting still for the entire day, minus 20 minutes of recess, which was frequently taken away. They sat and did worksheets without moving or even getting up for water or the bathroom for almost the entire day. They only had PE once a week. FCPS is a hideously bad school district with no across the board standards at all. You were lucky - we were not. I hope OP gets a better school and teacher than we did.

I am sorry that was your expereince. Understand that it is not the norm. If Fairfax is hideously bad, we (everyone in the US) is screwed.

[Anonymous]

FCPS needs some standards that all schools follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

OP here - even if that preschool is 100% play based? There's no academic, sitting still for hours on end component to our preschool. There's still a 2 hour long nap/quiet time period, even for 4 year olds. They go outside 2-3 times a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we can't afford private (especially not for two kids). Thanks to 00:00 above - yes, obviously I'm high anxiety and need to calm down

Obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is a summer birthday, is doing well and by five years old there is really no need for a nap nor will your child really want one. As long as your child knows the basics going in, letters and numbers etc, they should not struggle. The only issue might be impulse control if they can't sit still for 20 minutes at a time but then again, that would be an issue in private school as well. They actually move arounda lot between doing morning meetings then going to specials, the coming back and working on reading groups, then PE or recess. It's not like they are sitting in one place the entire day just scribbling in notebooks. Your child will be fine.

Bull. My child's classroom had them sitting still for the entire day, minus 20 minutes of recess, which was frequently taken away. They sat and did worksheets without moving or even getting up for water or the bathroom for almost the entire day. They only had PE once a week. FCPS is a hideously bad school district with no across the board standards at all. You were lucky - we were not. I hope OP gets a better school and teacher than we did.

I am sorry that was your expereince. Understand that it is not the norm. If Fairfax is hideously bad, we (everyone in the US) is screwed.

NP. "are screwed," not "is screwed."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

OP here - even if that preschool is 100% play based? There's no academic, sitting still for hours on end component to our preschool. There's still a 2 hour long nap/quiet time period, even for 4 year olds. They go outside 2-3 times a day.

No 4 year old class should be having a 2 hour rest period. Something is very wrong with that preschool. And, why on earth are there no academics to get them prepared for K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

OP here - even if that preschool is 100% play based? There's no academic, sitting still for hours on end component to our preschool. There's still a 2 hour long nap/quiet time period, even for 4 year olds. They go outside 2-3 times a day.

Yes, even if preschool's is play based. Kindergarten is not sitting still for hours on end. They move the students around the classroom, they have stations, they have recess, they hae PE and other specials, they have lunch, they have quiet time, desks are not lined up in neat little rows. There are no desks, there are tables. Have you visited your local school yet? Have you talked with your neighbor's with current kindergartners? Have you talked withthe kindergarten teachers at the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is a summer birthday, is doing well and by five years old there is really no need for a nap nor will your child really want one. As long as your child knows the basics going in, letters and numbers etc, they should not struggle. The only issue might be impulse control if they can't sit still for 20 minutes at a time but then again, that would be an issue in private school as well. They actually move arounda lot between doing morning meetings then going to specials, the coming back and working on reading groups, then PE or recess. It's not like they are sitting in one place the entire day just scribbling in notebooks. Your child will be fine.

Bull. My child's classroom had them sitting still for the entire day, minus 20 minutes of recess, which was frequently taken away. They sat and did worksheets without moving or even getting up for water or the bathroom for almost the entire day. They only had PE once a week. FCPS is a hideously bad school district with no across the board standards at all. You were lucky - we were not. I hope OP gets a better school and teacher than we did.

Bull. School name? How would you possibly know what occurred all day at school? You must be one of those parents looking to explain away your kid's bad behavior or dislike of school.

[Anonymous]

Most children are in full day daycare before kindergarten? That's not true at our mostly middle class FCPS. Most of the kids seemed to do a traditional kind of preschool though.

[Anonymous]

I toured a school in "coveted" Arlington. Parents were complaining that there is too much recess. There's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most children are in full day daycare before kindergarten? That's not true at our mostly middle class FCPS. Most of the kids seemed to do a traditional kind of preschool though.

So the majority of the students in your school have a SAHP? I find that surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

OP here - even if that preschool is 100% play based? There's no academic, sitting still for hours on end component to our preschool. There's still a 2 hour long nap/quiet time period, even for 4 year olds. They go outside 2-3 times a day.

No 4 year old class should be having a 2 hour rest period. Something is very wrong with that preschool. And, why on earth are there no academics to get them prepared for K?

I agree with this. You might consider a different preschool, sooner or later.

[Anonymous]

So Kindergarten is not mandated by law. Why not send your child to montessori for that year? It'll be a bit more structured, get your child used to the no nap (by the end of the year) and is more play based. Lots of those around and fairly reasonably priced I think (vs. private).

Otherwise you may want to consider a different pre-school when she's 4. Ours is play based for the most part (2 hours of "structured" activities in the morning, 2-3 times outside, 2 hour "rest/nap" period (in the 4 year old room if they are all non-nappers it'll be quiet activities like reading, coloring, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 year old who will be starting Kindergarten in two years - so yes, we're a little bit getting ahead of ourselves! We're starting to get a little stressed out about Kindergarten based on what we've heard about FCPS -- e.g. Kindergarten is full day instead of half day, there is very little recess or gymnasium time, no nap or rest time, and kids are expected to be learning what our generation learned in first and second grades. Is this true of all FCPS? My child will specifically be attending SHREVEWOOD. Anyone have experience with this school's Kindergarten program? I know the school is overcrowded - what is the student-teacher ratio? Are there assistants in the class? We're so nervous. DD is in preschool now, but it is play based and the ratio is 2 teachers to 16-18 kids.

Your child has nearly 2 1/2 years to mature and be ready. If DC is already in a class with 16-18 children and two teachers, DC shold be able to handle a class that is 25-28 with two teachers (one teacher and one aide) in 2+ YEARS. Things have NOT changed that much. Kindergarten is more like half 1st and half kindergarten. With three years of preschool under her belt, she should be MORE THAN READY.

OP here - even if that preschool is 100% play based? There's no academic, sitting still for hours on end component to our preschool. There's still a 2 hour long nap/quiet time period, even for 4 year olds. They go outside 2-3 times a day.

No 4 year old class should be having a 2 hour rest period. Something is very wrong with that preschool. And, why on earth are there no academics to get them prepared for K?

I agree with this. You might consider a different preschool, sooner or later.

Unfortunately a lot of the full day preschools around here have a 2 hour rest period. By law, they only need to provide 45 minutes. I'm not sure why more parents haven't complained. 45 minutes to 1 hour is more than sufficient. My first child was in a school with a 2 hour rest for awhile and would stay up for hours at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our Fairfax school, kindergarteners have nap time after lunch, on the hard floor full of germs from dirty shoes. Kids have recess in the afternoon. In the morning, they just have 30 min of PE. So, yes, they have very little opportunities to release the energy. Too many rules to learn, too many kids to deal with, and sometimes there's a teacher with little experience and not much patience.I know there are schools, not FCPS, with half day kindergarten.

OP here -- this is my biggest concern with FCPS. We just moved here, but may have to consider moving somewhere smaller before my child starts elementary.

Like where? Sounds like you want to go private.

FCPS parent here (kid is older now). OP, in most public kindergartens, not just FCPS, things simply are no longer like when you and I were kids. You mentioned in the original post how K now is more like first grade was in the past -- that's absolultey true, and that's just how it is. Teachers are expected by school systems (and by many parents) to do much more academic work with K students.

This means that K teachers have far, far less time to deal with teaching those basic "getting along" skills like how to work within the group, how to move from activity to activity without meltdowns or resistance, how to keep hands off other kids, how to react to other kids who don't do well in the group, etc.

Whether or not you stay in FCPS, I would strongly advise you to put your child in a good preschool for at least the year before K to learn those skills so she can start K with some experience of the classroom setting and experience being around other kids in that setting. Preschool does not have to mean full-day, five days a week! Just consistent half-days is fine, but just get some exposure to listening to and obeying adults who are not relatives, and being around kids who are not necessarily friends or playmates. Note that I'm NOT saying to find a very "academic" preschool--avoid ones with worksheets and so-called preschool homework etc. But look for one that does teach children to move as a group.

OP, I do think that you're overthinking the whole "stay in FCPS or move" thing, especially if you'd actually move because of kindergarten. That's putting all the eggs in just the K basket, I think. The system is a good one overall (despite all the FCPS-trashing you'll see on DCUM). If you went to another public system in this region, you'd likely find the same situation in K -- more academics than parents expect, less nap time than is ideal, less recess than you'd like. There are lots of reasons for this, including, but not solely, pressure on teachers to produce students who test well, and pressure on schools to cram more instruction into each day. But just moving may not give you any different outcome-- unless you go private.

The best things you can do, in my book, are to find a good, fun, play-based but structured preschool, and to prepare to be very involved in volunteering at your child's elementary school. Being a volunteer (and there are a LOT more volunteer opportunities for parents whose kids are in the youngest grades!) will keep you plugged in to what the teachers are like, what they expect, what your child's day is really like, what the classmates are like, etc. Those things don't replace a nap or recess. But don't focus on naps or recess or full-day schedules to the point that one year of less-than-ideal K makes you move out of what could be a good school system overall.